Ira Harris wrote: Source: GRANVILLE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA DEEDS 1755-1782 Abstracted by Timothy W. Rackley 43 - (83,84) Christo Harris & Catherine his wife of Granville Co., NC to Thomas Critcher of aforesaid, 4 November 1778, for 100 pounds lawfull money, one certain piece or parcel of land containing by estimation 100 acres, be the same more or less; Beginning at a White Oak on the road Henry White's corner, then North, 134 poles to pointers, then West 100 poles to a Pine, then South 200 poles to a Hickory, then North 57 East 40 poles to White Oak, then North 71 East 60 poles to the beginning. Christopher Harris, Cathron (X) Harris. Wit: {blank}. Granville County November Court 1778. This Deed was duly acknowledged by Christopher Harris to be his act and deed which on motion ordered to be Registered, at the same time Catherine, wife of the said Christopher, was privately examined by Philemon Hawkins, esquire, who reported that she freely relinquished her Right of Dower in the land by this deed conveyed. Truly Registered M. Satterwhite PR. Reuben Searcy CC. Does anyone recognize this Christopher Harris? What is Catherine's maiden name? Did they have any children? Did they stay in Granville County? What Harris family are they related to? Any insight is appreciated. Please respond through HH so that others may be helped. Ira L. Harris III, Member Group 6, Harris Y-DNA Family Study ______________________________ Response: A shred of insight: Regarding Granville Co. Road orders and some Harris males April 19, 1770. "Ordered that John Harris be appointed Overseer of the Road that leads from White's Race Path to Raglands Path in the room of Christopher Harris and that the Hands of The Rev'd Mr. McCartney, Daniel Standard, Benjamin Ward and James Kelly work on the said Road." July 19, 1770. "Order'd that the Hands of the Reveerend Mr. James Macartney, Jonathan White, Jonathan White Junr. Burgiss White, Wm. Hicks, Richard Harris, Cutbird Hudson, Christopher Harris, John Waldrap, Nicholos Medlock, John Medlock, Zachariah Eakes, John Harris & Daniel Standard open and clear the Road to be laid off from out of the New Road by Cutbird Hudsons, thence to the Glebe & from thence into the Road leading from Whites Racepaths to Harrisburgh, and that as many of the said Hands keep the same in Repair, as the Court shall think proper, under Daniel Standard Overseer." End Vol. 4 [not stated, but probably court records of Granville Co., NC] Source: Thomas McAdory Owen, HISTORY AND GENEALOGIES OF OLD GRANVILLE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 1746-1800 [Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1993], p. 130 Comment 1: There are other references to a good number of Harris males in Owen's book. Owen was at one time Archivist of the Alabama State Archives, and he was given *free reign* of the Granville Co. courthouse, particularly the court minutes and record books. The above are only some of the notes he made as his intention was to compile and publish a social history of Granville Co. His notes are on microfilm at the Library of Congress. An ambitious genealogist Henryetta Walls Vanaman of Conway Arkansas transcribed Owen's notes, and the above-named book is the result. Owen has a few transcripts of marriage bonds, but I do not find indexed a marriage bond for Christopher Harris. Brent H. Holcomb has compiled and published a book of Granville Co., marriage bonds, but there are a few errors in it. Comment 2: My reading of Virginia road orders, some of which are on the internet, leads me to believe that all those males who are grouped together to either lay out the roads or to maintain the roads were neighbors, and therefore interested in the route of the roads, the maintenance of same, etc. By tracing some of the persons with more unusual names, such as Cutbird Hudson above, I have been able to place more common-surnamed ancestors in a time and a place, even if they were North Carolinians from Virginia. Most migrations to this part of North Carolina originated in Virginia, as access by sea in North Carolina is quite dangerous due to the barrier islands. Submitted by E.W.Wallace who has other ancestors than Harris from colonial Granville Co. [some with quite common names]